South Beloit officials still deciding who will serve out late-Mayor Mike Duffy's term

Monday

Jun 23, 2014 at 12:29 PMJun 23, 2014 at 12:34 PM

By Alex GaryRockford Register Star

SOUTH BELOIT — Mayor Pro Tem Alice Schoonover said city officials won’t be discussing a permanent successor to Mike Duffy until after the first-term mayor is buried Wednesday.

Duffy died suddenly Friday at age 68. The former superintendent of the South Beloit School District who also served as interim Durand School District superintendent the past two school years was elected in April 2011.

Schoonover and the other three members of the South Beloit Board of Commissioners all are in their first terms, elected to office with Duffy. Schoonover, as head of the accounting and finance commission, was elevated to mayor pro tem.

Since the next mayoral election is less than a year away — April 2015 — the city will not hold an interim election. Instead, the four board members have to choose someone from among themselves to serve out Duffy’s term. The city’s next board of commissioners meeting isn’t until July 7. City attorney Roxanne Sosnowski said it is possible that they could hold a meeting earlier to deal with the issue.

The other board members are John LaMendola, Donald Barber and Linda Chambers.

Once one of the members is chosen to finish Duffy’s term the board will have to appoint someone to fill the open commissioner seat.

Schoonover said those decisions can wait.

“Anything that does come up, I’m authorized to deal with it,” Schoonover said. “At this moment, the most pressing issue is just getting through the visitation and the funeral. He was highly respected. Mike and I were personal friends. I’m personal friends with his wife. This is a very emotional time.”

The sudden loss will have minimal impact on the Durand School District. Duffy was the interim superintendent while Kurt Alberstett completed his superintendent certification. Alberstett was hired to become the full-time superintendent beginning with the 2014-15 school year.

The visitation is scheduled from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the South Beloit High School Auditorium, 245 Prairie Hill Road. A special tribute service is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, 2222 Shopiere Road, Beloit, Wisconsin, followed by a funeral Mass.

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